The invention relates to a ski binding with guide elements oriented in the binding longitudinal direction which can be pre-fitted or fitted on a ski for a front and a rear binding piece body, which ski binding enables the distance between the binding piece bodies to be changed as simply and rapidly as possible resulting in a corresponding change in the relative positions of the binding piece bodies with respect to a ski, as defined by the characterising features of claim 1.
For a long time, binding manufacturers, hire businesses and users have been seeking ways of setting a ski binding or adjusting a ski binding to respective shoe sizes rapidly and comfortably. For example, reference may be made to the ski binding disclosed in document DE 35 23 058 A1. It describes a ski binding with an adjusting mechanism disposed in one of the binding piece bodies, in particular in the toe piece, by means of which the entire binding piece unit comprising the two binding piece bodies can be fixed in different positions in the ski longitudinal direction on the one hand and by means of which adjusting mechanism the distance between the binding pieces can also be adapted to the respective shoe size on the other hand. To this end, the heel piece is coupled with the adjusting mechanism in the front piece body via a strip-shaped connecting element to enable the distance to be varied. The disadvantage of this system is that the adjusting mechanism is disposed in the toe piece which increases its size and the operating lever for the adjusting mechanism has to be moved into two different positions in order to be able to vary the distance between the binding pieces or to enable the relative position of the binding unit to be set with respect to the ski. This requires more concentration on the part of the operator or user.
Documents DE 41 35 899 A1 and DE 41 43 662 B4 disclose a ski binding, whereby the two binding piece bodies are accommodated and guided in longitudinal guides in order to retain the toe-side and heel-side end portion of the sports shoe. Disposed between the front and rear binding piece bodies is a length adjusting mechanism for individually setting the binding piece distance. These designs of length adjusting mechanisms permit a coupling based on a defined synchronous motion between two strip-shaped coupling elements with respect to the binding piece bodies or, alternatively enable the binding piece bodies to be moved separately from one another. A longitudinal positioning mechanism for this central length adjusting mechanism positions the length adjusting mechanism in at least one relative position with respect to the ski longitudinal direction. Most of the described embodiments have strip-shaped coupling elements between the two binding piece bodies, which are disposed lying next to one another by reference to the standing plane for a sports shoe. Various synchronous adjusting and locking mechanisms are disposed between these mutually spaced apart, adjacently positioned coupling elements. The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 11, 12 shows a variant relating to how a strip-shaped connecting element is secured or locked and comprises a functional element of the longitudinal positioning mechanism for the centrally disposed length adjusting mechanism. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 18 relates to a locking mechanism for a separate coupling element. In this instance, an intermediate piece or a middle part-portion of one of the two coupling elements is provided in the form of a toothed rack with lateral toothing, which can be moved into and out of engagement with laterally disposed, spring-biased lock members to enable the co-operating coupling element—and hence also the respective binding piece body—to move longitudinally so that it can be locked and released. FIG. 20 illustrates a locking mechanism similar to that illustrated in FIG. 18 but with a locking mechanism comprising a spring-biased lock member co-operating with each of the two adjacently lying coupling elements, and each of these locking mechanisms can be operated separately from one another. The spring force acting on the individual lock members is applied by means of compression springs, in particular helical springs, the spring force of which forces the lock members into the locked position with the respective co-operating coupling element and which spring force is responsible for maintaining the blocked or locked position of the lock members. These known designs are relatively complex and relatively cost-intensive due to the large number of components needed and are therefore only satisfactory under certain conditions.
Ski bindings based on a design where the distance between the binding pieces can be individually varied by means of a positioning and fixing mechanism disposed between the binding piece bodies and where the strip-shaped coupling elements for the binding piece bodies are disposed adjacent to one another by reference to the standing plane for a sports shoe are disclosed in documents AT 411 735 B, DE 102 20 483 A1, DE 102 53 574 A1, WO 2005/014124 A1, DE 103 34 840 A1, DE 10 2004 048 768 A1, or EP 1 764 138 A1. Similar ski bindings to these with adjacently extending coupling elements, where the positioning mechanism for the binding piece bodies is disposed centrally or in the middle but the fixing mechanism for fixing the desired distance between the binding pieces is disposed non-centrally or in a distal end portion of the ski binding, are disclosed in documents DE 10 2004 048 768 A1 or AT 412 840 B.
Documents DE 10 2006 039 988 A1 or DE 10 2004 061 589 A1 disclose ski bindings which can be adjusted to suit different shoe sole lengths, the binding piece bodies of which are each provided with a strip-shaped or plate-shaped coupling element, and the coupling elements are of a fork-shaped or finger-shaped design in their mutually facing end portions and are therefore able to engage with one another in the form of a tine-type connection with a variable overlap width.
Document DE 100 39 816 A1, filed by this applicant, also disclose a ski binding, the binding piece bodies of which can be displaceably retained in longitudinal guides permanently secured to the ski. In this instance, mutually facing strip-shaped coupling elements on each of the two binding piece bodies co-operate with a positioning and fixing mechanism for the coupling elements disposed between the longitudinal guides. Matching, complementary sets of teeth which can be moved into engagement between the two coupling elements extending one above the other are disposed within a variable overlap portion between the two coupling elements, in particular on the mutually facing flat faces of the mutually overlapping coupling elements. These sets of teeth in the mutually overlapping portion of the two coupling elements therefore help to ensure that the distance between the two binding piece bodies is fixed so that slipping is prevented as far as possible. In order to achieve sufficiently small adjustment step widths, fine teeth with small tooth-to-tooth distances are provided. In an alternative embodiment, it is proposed that a one-piece connecting element be provided between the binding piece bodies, and the unit comprising the front binding piece body, one-piece connecting element and rear binding piece body can be positioned in steps by reference to the ski or binding longitudinal direction by means of several orifices in the one-piece connecting element spaced apart from one another in the binding longitudinal direction in combination with a co-operating projection on the central positioning and fixing mechanism. However, the fine teeth needed to obtain small adjustment step widths make it more difficult to adjust the binding piece bodies to the requisite desired positions.
Document DE 10 2006 031 993 A1, likewise filed by this applicant, discloses a ski binding of the generic type based on the introductory part of claim 1. In particular, the ski binding disclosed has coupling elements extending one above the other between the binding piece bodies and a positioning and fixing mechanism for the coupling elements or for the binding piece bodies connected to them in the overlapping portion between the coupling elements. Based on this known embodiment, the positioning elements on the flat faces of the two bar-shaped or strip-shaped coupling elements are provided in the form of an arrangement of rows or lines of orifices or recesses or raised areas on the flat faces of the coupling elements, i.e. in a pattern based on an array. The desired overlap width can be fixed and hence the desired distance between the binding pieces by means of a locking pin which can be moved perpendicular to the flat faces of the coupling elements. To this end, this locking pin is moved selectively so that it establishes a positive connection with one of the positioning elements disposed in a row or array. Although mutual friction between the coupling elements extending one above the other can be reduced using this embodiment, the overall comfort achieved for the user when the positioning and fixing mechanism assumes the position enabling the binding piece bodies to move freely is only partially satisfactory.